Pretender
by RaajmdTMP
Summary: When the gang heads to Blue Cove, Delaware, Fiona stumbles across something weirder than she has ever seen.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: So Weird and The Pretender don't belong to me, they belong to their respective companies.   
  
Pretender  
  
By RaajmdTMP  
  
Part 1  
  
Have you ever wished you were smarter than you are? I mean really smart; a genius. People like that can do some pretty amazing things. Like this one man, Ferdinand Waldo Demara, who actually was able to read a book about heart surgery in the morning and perform a flawless bypass in the afternoon.  
  
Intelligence like that can really get you attention, hopefully from the right people. But what if there's this secret corporation tracking your every move in hopes of capturing you and exploiting your genius for their profit? That sounds like it comes straight from the realms of science fiction. That kind of stuff could never happen in real life or could it?  
  
Demons come from every side  
In the darkness is the light  
Out of the shadows of my life  
In the darkness is the light  
In the darkness is the light  
Surrender will win the fight  
This girl's walked on fire and ice  
But I come out on the other side of paradise  
Paradise  
  
Close to Dover, DE  
  
The Molly Phillips tour bus rolled down the streets on the outskirts of Dover. They had just finished a gig and were heading to a hotel right outside of the city.  
  
"So what's the next stop on the tour, Mom?" asked Jack.  
  
"Well, Jack, according to Irene's itinerary we need to be in Baltimore, Maryland next week."  
  
"It doesn't take a week to get to Baltimore," said Fiona suspiciously.  
  
"No it doesn't. Irene and Ned have planned a little surprise vacation for us."  
  
"Cool, Mrs. P. Hey Dad, since we're on vacation, that history report…"  
  
"Is still due on Tuesday," interrupted Ned.  
  
"Nice try, Clu," teased Carey, always ready to pick on his little brother.  
  
There was a screeching sound that grew increasingly louder coming from the engine. Smoke started to fill the air outside the bus. Ned pulled over.  
  
"Oh, not again! Mr. B, I thought you checked the engine before we left," Fi moaned. Ned went out to take a look.  
  
"Fiona!" Molly warned.  
  
"Don't worry, Mom. Fi's just going through withdrawal because she didn't have any close encounters this week," he said sarcastically.  
  
"Shut up, Jack!"  
  
"What did I..?"  
  
"Jack. Shut. Up."  
  
"Okay, that's enough. Jack, go to your room and leave your sister alone. Fiona, go outside and see if Ned needs any help."  
  
"But…"  
  
"Now!"  
  
Outside the Bus   
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. B."  
  
"That's okay, Fiona. I know what you mean. If we make it another month without something happening to the bus, I'm sure it will break some sort of record for us."  
  
Fiona laughed at his joke. She suddenly had the feeling that someone was watching her. When she turned around, she saw nothing but a very large, ominous building towering over her. The building, which was made out of tan colored bricks, stretched as far as the eye could see.  
  
"Um, Ned? Do you know what that place is?"  
  
Ned looked up from the engine.  
  
"You got me, Fiona. You'd think a place that big would have some sort of publicity, but I don't remember seeing it on any maps. It's kind of weird if you ask me."  
  
"Yeah, weird," Fi mumbled absently, her attention now on a car that pulled up in front of the mysterious building.  
  
The car door opened revealing a balding man in his late thirties or early forties. He was about average height and seemed too clumsy and nervous for his own good. There was a girl in the backseat who resembled the man. She was obviously his daughter. She looked like she was Fi's age but could have been younger.  
  
"Thanks, Joe," the man said. "When my car wouldn't start, I was afraid I would have to take my bike again."  
  
"It's no trouble, Broots. Hey, if I obey the speed limits, I might actually get Debbie to school on time."  
  
Broots chuckled.  
  
"Yeah, make sure you do. See you later."  
  
He waved goodbye and headed up to the large, dark doors of the odd looking building. One of the many containers he was holding slipped from his grasp spread its contents on the ground upon impact. Fiona seized the opportunity and walked over to give the stranger some much-needed help. It took Broots a few seconds to realize she was there.  
  
"Oh, thanks. You're a lifesaver. If I was late one more time, Miss Parker would kill me."  
  
"Miss Parker?" She always considered it strange when people talk to strangers as if they knew who their own acquaintances were by name.  
  
"She's my boss, kind of."  
  
"Oh. It's no trouble. I'm Fiona Phillips," Fi said holding out her hand.   
  
"Mr. Broots," he replied shaking her hand after stuffing some papers back in the box.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Broots."  
  
A man in a dark suit walked up to Broots.  
  
"Mr. Broots, Mr. Lyle wants to see you as soon as possible."  
  
All the color drained from his face. If Fiona didn't know any better, she would have sworn he was trembling. He gulped loudly.  
  
"M…Mr. Lyle? I'll, ah, I'll be right there. Thanks, Sam."  
  
Broots hurried off through the doors, leaving the rest of his papers on the ground. Fi gathered them together slowly, stealing glances at what was written on them. She found out the name of the corporation (The Centre), but not much else. The papers were mostly interoffice memos dating back to the late fifties. She had absolutely no idea if they were still relevant to the work done there today, but there had to be some reason why Broots had been carrying them. They had to be of some use to him and he would know they were missing.  
  
She ran back to the bus and into her room. She searched through her desk drawers for a folder to put the papers in. She found a light blue file folder and stuffed the papers inside. On her way back outside, Molly stopped her.  
  
"Hey, where are you going in such a hurry?"  
  
"Um, I saw a man drop these papers outside that building," she said pointing out the window. "I just thought that I would drop them off with the secretary. They look important."  
  
"Well, okay, but see if you can get Carey or Clu to go with you."  
  
Clu and Carey were playing with the radio in the cab when Fi walked through.  
  
"Hey, Carey? You mind coming with me to go give these papers back to the guy that dropped them?"  
  
"Sure, Fi," he said sarcastically.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I just find it hard to believe that's all you're doing."  
  
"Oh, I'm hurt! How dare you suggest such a thing?" Fi said, just as sarcastically as he had.  
  
Carey jogged down the stairs ahead of her.   
  
"Hey! Wait up!"  
  
The second they walked through the door of the building, they could feel a change in the atmosphere.   
  
"Is it just me, or does it feel… different in here?" Carey whispered looking around. Everyone in the lobby seemed to be watching them. You would have thought they had just dropped from the ceiling, judging by the looks on everyone's faces.  
  
"You could hear a pin drop in here," Fi whispered back.  
  
The silence was suddenly shattered by the squeaking wheels of a tricycle. A small child rode the tricycle at top speed down the otherwise still hallway.   
  
"Ashley, come back here!"  
  
A young man in a lab coat chased after the girl. Both Fiona and Carey turned and watched them disappear down the end of the hall. They turned back around and almost bumped into a man who seemed to appear out of nowhere.   
  
"Oh, we're sorry. We didn't know you were there."  
  
"That's quite all right. Are you looking for someone?" the man asked. His soft accent was comforting and his brown eyes warm. His persona sharply contrasted the cold, sterile environment of the hall they were standing in.  
  
"Yeah, we were looking for a man that dropped these papers on his way in the building earlier today."  
  
The man chuckled, "Did he seem to be loosing his hair, by any chance?"  
  
Fi nodded.  
  
"You must mean Broots. I have a meeting with him in a few minutes. I'll be sure to give them to him." He was just about to leave when someone called him from the entrance.  
  
"Sydney! Where's Broots? I think I found something."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Not here. You of all people, Sydney," she added in a hushed whisper.  
  
"I'm sorry, Miss Parker. My mind has been elsewhere today."  
  
"Well you better pick it up at the bus stop, Syd. You're needed here, in the present. Find Broots while you're at it."  
  
"But Parker, today is…"  
  
"I know what today is, Sydney. We'll talk about that later. For now, let's pretend that the past is the past and not dwell on it," she said. She noticed Fi and Carey. "Who are they?"   
  
"These people were kind enough to bring back some papers that Broots dropped." She grabbed the folder from his hand and skimmed through the documents inside.   
  
"Thank you," she said looking at Fiona. "You might have just saved a life."  
  
Miss Parker and Sydney walked down one of the corridors together leaving Fi and Carey in the lobby. The people, who had stopped staring at them when Miss Parker came in, were watching them again.  
  
"Let's get out of here," Carey whispered. "I feel like I'm in a fish bowl."  
  
Once they were outside, they felt relieved that there were no longer people inspecting them.  
  
"No wonder Broots was in a hurry this morning. I'd be afraid of Miss Parker, too," Carey said.  
  
"When she thanked us, it seemed like she knew that I was the one who picked up the papers."  
  
"Yeah, that's right. She looked right at you. Maybe she's psychic," Carey teased.  
  
"Carey! That's not what I mean. It felt like she knew it was me, even though she couldn't have, but I don't think she noticed."  
  
"You don't think she noticed that she knew it was you?"  
  
"I don't think she noticed that nobody told her it was."  
  
"Oh. What's with the kid on the tricycle?" he said changing the subject.  
  
"How about the guy in the lab coat chasing her? I wonder what kind of work those people do there. It's like they never saw a stranger walk in before."  
  
"I don't even want to think about what goes on there. It felt weird just to walk through the door."  
  
"Fiona! Carey! Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you," Jack said as he ran over to them.  
  
"We went to return something to a man in there. Jack, there's something weird going on in that building."  
  
"Isn't there always?"  
  
"Come on, Jack."  
  
"Fiona, it's just a very large building with a lot of security cameras." He pointed up to a row of cameras along the wall. "There's nothing strange going on here."  
  
"If you went in that building you'd know what she's talking about, man. She's not making it up. It's creepy in there."   
  
Jack shook his head, "Whatever you say. Ned got the bus working again. We have to go."  
  
The three of them walked back to the bus. Fi kept looking back at the building as she walked. She got in the bus and watched it out the window until it could no longer be seen.  
  
~*****~  
  
The events of earlier that day were being played in black and white on a small screen. The viewer was a sickly man of about sixty or older. He was breathing regularly thanks to the help of an oxygen tank and his left thumb was missing. He was completely bald and, like so many others at the Centre, had cool blue eyes.  
  
"Willie?" he wheezed into a cell phone. "Find out… who she is. Report… only to me." He hung up. He stared at the still capture of Fiona on the screen. "You ask too many questions, my young friend, and you may not like the answers."  
  
~*****~   
  
Fiona sat at the desk in the hotel room she shared with her mother. Her laptop was sitting on the desk. She was looking in all of the search engines she could find for any information on the Centre. Ned had been right. When she entered the Centre's address into an address finder, it said that it didn't exist. The more times her searches came up empty, the more frustrated she became.   
  
"Oh, give me a break!" she exclaimed after her latest try showed no matches. "Okay, I give up."  
  
She shut off her computer and went out to find the guys.  
  
"Let's see, if I was Clu, where would I go?"  
  
She heard cheering coming from a room off of the lobby.  
  
"The arcade."  
  
Fi followed the cheering to the arcade. She found Carey, Clu and Jack excitedly watching a man playing pinball.   
  
"Hey Fi, check this out! He's been playing this one ball for, like, a half hour. He's got over a million points. This is so cool!" Clu shouted.  
  
"Clu, I'm right here. You don't have to yell." She started to watch the game, "He is really good."  
  
"Thank you," the man said. He stepped away from the game.  
  
"Do you mind if I?" Carey asked the stranger while pointing at the machine.  
  
"No, go ahead."  
  
"How'd you get so good at that? You must have had to practice for hours."  
  
"You could say that. My name's Jarod."  
  
"I'm Fi Phillips. Nice to meet you."  
  
"Nice to meet you, too." He looked at his watch. "Um, could I ask you all a favor?"  
  
"Sure, what?"  
  
"I'm was going to see someone here in about five minutes, but I just remembered that I was supposed to be at a meeting almost ten minutes ago. Could you give my friend this when she comes?" he asked holding out a red notebook.  
  
"Yeah, of course. What's her name?"  
  
"Uh, Miss Parker. I really have to go."  
  
"Miss Parker?" Fi asked, thinking that the name had to be some strange coincidence. He was gone before she could question him about her.  
  
"Where was he going in such a hurry?" Jack asked, looking up from the game he was playing with Clu.  
  
"I have no idea."  



	2. Part 2

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Pretender and So Weird unfortunately still belong to their respective companies.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry this took so incredibly long to write. The saying 'All good things to those who wait' comes to mind from a recent viewing of Silence of the Lambs, but alas, I do not fancy myself too good of a writer. I had a horrible case of writer's block with this and my other story, Elk Island of the Haunted. A trip to the R.C. Harris Water Filtration Plant seems to have snapped me out of it, though. By the way, this is now set after Island of the Haunted. Sorry for any confusion with dates, thumb ownership, etc that goes along with the change. So, on to part two of.  
  
Pretender  
  
By RaajmdTMP  
  
After meeting Jarod, Fiona believed her day was as weird as it could get. Needless to say, she was wrong. Not five minutes after Jarod disappeared, his so-called friend showed up looking for him. As Fi suspected, she was the same Miss Parker she had met earlier that day. And she was none too happy.  
  
"Great! Just great! Another dead end," Miss Parker complained after Fi gave her Jarod's red notebook.  
  
"The story of our lives, Miss Parker," a voice said. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared, open-mouthed, in the direction of the sound.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"I think it came from the machine in the corner," Fi said.  
  
"Wait a minute, guys. That wasn't on a second ago," Clu said confused.  
  
"Broots, go check it out."  
  
"Okay, Miss Parker," Broots said and walked over to the game. He began to examine it. "It must have had some sort of voice activation device set to go off when you said this was a dead end."  
  
"Clever, very clever, Jarod," Sydney said looking at the machine.  
  
"How did he know you would say that?"  
  
"I guess it was a risk he was willing to take. What do you think it means, Syd?"  
  
"I don't know, Miss Parker."  
  
"Fine, have cleanup pack it up. We'll analyze it later."  
  
"Pack it up? What, the whole machine?" Jack asked.  
  
"Yes, if it's any of your business, the whole machine," Miss Parker replied, fixing Jack with an icy glare. She gave the room a once over and stormed out the door.  
  
Broots followed Miss Parker out of the room and Sydney stayed behind, looking at the machine closely. He ran his hand along the smooth side and, finding nothing there, stood up with a sigh.  
  
"Excuse me, Sydney?"  
  
He turned around to face Fiona. "Yes?"  
  
"Um, I don't mean to be nosy, but I overheard you saying something to Miss Parker earlier. Something about today. Is that the reason she's acting the way she is?"  
  
"One of many."  
  
"What could be so horrible?"  
  
Sydney sighed again, "The anniversary of her mother's death. She died 32 years ago today."  
  
Fiona's eyes widened, "Thirty-two years?" Sydney nodded and walked slowly out the door.  
  
Fiona realized she had something in common with Miss Parker. Parker had lost her mother when she was young. She knew how she felt on the anniversary of her father's death. Today must be really hard for Miss Parker. Fi knew, that no matter how hard it would be, she had to talk to Miss Parker again.  
  
~*****~  
  
"But, Mom."  
  
"But nothing, Fiona. You've bothered her enough today."  
  
"I'm not going to bother her. I just want to talk to her."  
  
"About what, her mother's death? Fi, that's not only none of your business, that's rude."  
  
"Mom, I'm not trying to be rude. I just think she knows how I feel."  
  
"I miss Daddy, too, Baby, but."  
  
"Mom, I think that if I could talk to someone that's been through what I have, it would make me feel better about it."  
  
Molly sighed, "If it would make you feel better, you can go, if you get Jack to go with you."  
  
"I'm not a little kid anymore."  
  
"Fiona, you're pushing it."  
  
"I'm only kidding. Thanks, Mom."  
  
~*****~  
  
The Centre The Next Day  
  
"Look, my sister just wants to speak with her."  
  
"I'm afraid that's impossible, sir."  
  
"If she's busy we can come back."  
  
"Fiona, there you are. I've been looking all over for you," Miss Parker said walking into the lobby.  
  
"But you weren't expecting."  
  
"Shh! Just walk," Parker whispered leading them away.  
  
Once they were in Miss Parker's office, Parker shut her door, turned around and stared at the two of them.  
  
"What in the world are you two doing here?"  
  
"I'm sorry, we'll leave if you want."  
  
"No, they think I was expecting you. You can't leave yet."  
  
"I don't understand why this is such a big deal, we can leave you to your business. My sister just wanted to talk to you but it's really not too important."  
  
"Jack!"  
  
"You don't get it. Did you even notice how the people in the lobby were looking at you when you came in? You don't just visit the Centre."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Miss Parker studied the ground. She couldn't tell them that. She had told them too much already. "Since you're here, what did you want to talk about?" she said changing the subject. It did not go unnoticed by Fiona, but she decided not to make anything of it.  
  
"I.wanted to ask you about your mother's death."  
  
"Who said my mother was dead?"  
  
"Sydney told me."  
  
"Sydney told you?" Parker asked. She picked up her phone and pressed a number on speed dial. "Sydney, my office, now!" she growled into the phone.  
  
"I'm sorry Miss Parker, but I'm in the middle of a meeting right now. I'll be there as soon as I can."  
  
"But." she was cut off by the dial tone. "Great!" she said under her breath.  
  
"Miss Parker, I'm sorry I bothered you. I know this is a tough time. My.our father died when I was three. I know how you feel."  
  
Miss Parker looked up, "Your father died when you were three?"  
  
"Yeah, that's why I came here. I felt that, if we could talk about it."  
  
There was a banging noise coming from the air ducts.  
  
"What's that?" asked Jack.  
  
The grate from the vent flew open and a strange redheaded man crawled out. No one in the room said a word; Jack and Fi because they were completely confused, and Miss Parker because she knew the teens were learning too much.  
  
"What are you doing here, Angelo?"  
  
He looked around the room, stopping when his gaze landed on Fi.  
  
"Fiona," he whispered.  
  
"How.how did you know my name?"  
  
He walked over to her and took her hand in his.  
  
"Father's ring," he said pointing at it.  
  
"It was. He.he died. I wear it now."  
  
"How do you know our father?" asked Jack.  
  
Angelo got an intense look of concentration on his face before starting to mumble, at first incoherently, and then gradually getting clear.  
  
"1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21.1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21.1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21.1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21."  
  
`KNOCK, KNOCK`  
  
Everyone's heads snapped toward the door. Broots stuck his head in.  
  
"Miss Parker, I think I have a lead on Jarod."  
  
"Not now, Broots. I'm busy," she said gesturing towards where Angelo was. The only problem was there was no sign of him.  
  
~*****~  
  
"Mom, can I talk to you?"  
  
"Sure, Baby. What's up?"  
  
"Did Daddy ever come to Blue Cove?"  
  
Molly looked at Fi trying to hide the slightly shocked expression on her face.  
  
"Why do you ask?"  
  
"I met a man at the Centre when I went to talk to Miss Parker. He crawled out of the air vents. When he heard my voice, he turned and stared at me. He knew my name."  
  
"That's strange, Baby," Molly said uncomfortably.  
  
"Is that all you have to say? That it's weird? Mom, he knew this was Daddy's ring."  
  
"What am I supposed to say, Fiona? That it's possible your father could have been here before?"  
  
"I don't know. I get this strange feeling around here. And at the Centre. Like I'm connected to this place somehow."  
  
"Well, maybe you should stay away from this Centre."  
  
"No, that's not what I meant. Please don't do that. I have to find out how Angelo knew Daddy."  
  
"Fiona, please, you don't know who you're dealing with."  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"Please, Fi, you know how this scares me," she said trying to discourage Fi without answering her.  
  
"I can't just give this up, Mom. If he knew Daddy, I can't do that," Fi said with tears in her eyes and her voice. She walked into her room through the door adjoining it to her mother's.  
  
Molly leaned back on her bed with a loud, sad sigh. She hated doing that to Fiona. The truth was that all this really did scare her. It scared her to death. She had the answers to her daughter's questions; she just couldn't say them. It was too hard. This whole thing was giving her the strangest déjà vu feeling she's ever had. She felt that she'd had this conversation before and, for once in her life, she was sure she had.  
  
~******~  
  
Miss Parker sat on her couch in front of her fireplace sipping tea. Normally she would have a drink in her hand, but lately it didn't seem right to drown her sorrows in something that blurred her vision. And I don't mean her sight. Now, if ever, she needed to be able to think clearly. There were too many questions to be answered to have dulled senses, no matter how much it would hurt. Somehow the tea did have a positive effect on her "emotional upheaval" as Ocee had said.  
  
She hated to admit it, but she had changed since her time on the island with Jarod. Losing her so-called father had been horrible. There was something about her last minutes with him that was bothering her but she couldn't figure out what it was.  
  
She just came home from a meeting with Raines and Lyle. The thought of Raines being in charge made her sick. The thought of him being her father, well, that was sick. Apparently Lyle had again attached himself to the one with the power, but this time more literally. He gave Raines his thumb. That he had been the one that had recently stolen the thumb is another story. And now the first one to the answers not only wins, but lives. The rules have changed. One must wonder, how much?  
  
Her last conversation with Jarod seemed different somehow. She found herself saying things she never would have even thought of before the island. Her true feelings were showing through more and more every time she spoke with him. She found that the more time she spent with her would-be captive, the less she tried to fight them.  
  
So much had happened in such a short amount of time. Now she had to try to keep this Phillips girl out of trouble the Centre was sure to cause. And figure out what Angelo knew about her father.  
  
She was disturbed from her thoughts with a strange feeling in her stomach. She felt someone's presence. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard a soft thud coming from her kitchen. She quickly grabbed her gun off the coffee table and quietly walked in the direction of the sound. She opened the door and walked right into the intruder.  
  
"Jarod, don't you ever do that to me again!" she yelled.  
  
"I'm sorry, Miss Parker," he said holding out a hand to help her up. As usual, she ignored it.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked harshly. Jarod noticed that she had put her gun down on the counter.  
  
"I came here to talk," he said cautiously. When she made no move to pick up the gun he continued. "Face to face."  
  
"Jarod, don't make this any harder than it already is."  
  
"How was your meeting with the Phillips siblings today?"  
  
She looked at him for a second considering what to say. "How is it that you always know what's going on at the Centre?"  
  
"I don't. But when I do, I have my sources."  
  
"And I suppose you'll never tell me who, right?"  
  
"Never say never, Parker. Besides if I told you everything, it wouldn't be any fun."  
  
"Fun? Is that what this is, Jarod?" Parker asked as she walked back into her living room. Jarod saw her shiver as she walked away and incorrectly attributed it to the cold. She sat on the hearth in front of her fireplace.  
  
"Well, it is some kind of game we play. I run, you chase, remember?" he sat down next to her.  
  
"And first one to the answers."  
  
"It may be a game, but it doesn't have to be a competition," he leaned closer. Déjà vu. She suddenly realized where this was heading. There they were again, having a heart to heart in front of the fireplace. The only difference was Ocee wasn't there.  
  
She tried to stand up and move away from him. She was fighting a losing battle with her emotions and she knew that she wouldn't be able to keep control if she stayed next to him. Jarod grabbed her shoulder stopping her. She looked at him, silently pleading with him to let her go.  
  
"You know, Parker," he started with a little sarcasm. "The thing you fight most, might just be exactly what's meant to be," he finished, his tone now completely serious.  
  
Jarod slowly moved his hand to Parker's other shoulder, into what could almost be considered a hug. His movement caused her to stiffen and she turned to give him her finest 'what-do-you-think-you're-doing?' look. She realized too late that looking him in the eyes wasn't the greatest idea on her part. Despite her best efforts, she promptly got lost in them.  
  
Jarod hadn't been subject to this intense scrutiny since the Centre. He started to feel fear well up in the pit of his stomach. As much as he wanted to trust her, she was the one person who he could never completely figure out. He could never be sure whether she wanted to kill him or kiss him, though he always wanted to believe it was the latter. His uncertainty got the better of him and he withdrew his hand.  
  
"Uh, I guess, um, I think I better." he trailed off.  
  
She smiled when she saw that the look of uncertainty on his face matched what she was feeling inside. For the first time in her recent memory, Mr.- Smug-and-Confident was turned to a nervous puddle in front of the Ice Queen. This would be empowering to her if it were anyone other than Jarod.  
  
"Finish what you started on the island," she concluded.  
  
"Wha."  
  
The next thing he knew she had taken his face in her hands and kissed him.  
  
"What was, uh, that was." he tried to form a sentence, but failed.  
  
"Yeah," she said as a tear ran down her cheek.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Then, why are you crying?"  
  
"The Parker Curse."  
  
"Parker, don't talk about that. Chances are it's not even real, or the scrolls."  
  
"That's not what I'm talking about, Jarod. I loose everyone I open my heart to. I don't think I could handle losing you. You're the only person who's always been there for me."  
  
He hugged her again, this time more intimately. "I'm not going anywhere." She started to cry more heavily.  
  
"You can't promise that. That's exactly what Tommy said."  
  
"With all due respect, I am not Thomas Gates."  
  
She put her hand on the back of his neck. "No," she said as she kissed him again. "You're Jarod. That's what I'm afraid of." She leaned in to kiss him for a third time but he stopped her. "What?" she asked, frustrated.  
  
"I want to know what you mean."  
  
"You always risk your life for the little guy which, on occasion, is me. You've saved my life more times than I care to admit and I. I don't think I could live with myself if you died trying to save me."  
  
"You're really worried about this, aren't you?"  
  
"What, me worry?"  
  
He chuckled. "All right, I promise to be more careful."  
  
"Good. Now where was I?" she asked before kissing him with all the pent up emotion from the past thirty years.  
  
  
  
A/N: So there you have it! Part two. Things may seem to be going a little fast, to me at least. If anyone has any suggestions on where I should go next, I'd love to hear them. I have my basic story set, but I need all the help I can get to write the next part faster. By the way, if anyone ever has the chance, you should go check out the R. C. Harris Filtration Plant. Oddly enough, it's very peaceful and relaxing there. It fails to give off any sense of foreboding one would expect from the building used as the Centre. 


End file.
